Playing-cards



(NoModgl.)

I'. COCH.

PLAYING CARDS. v No. 378,497. Patented Feb. z8, 1888 JJE'I'ROIT i?DETROIT v 2% DETRIT sHoiTsroP. 3.,

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lUniTnn STATES PATENT Trice,

FRANKLIN COUCH, OF VHITE PLAINS, NEW YORK.,r

PLAYlNGf-CARDS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 378,497, dated February28, 1888,

Application filed November 22, 1887. Serial No. 255.917. (No model.)

To @ZZ when it may concern,.-

Beit known that I, FRANKLIN COUCH, of Vhite Plains, in the county ofVestchester and State of New York, have invented a certain new anduseful Improvement in Playing- Cards, of which the following is a full,clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawingsforming a part of this specification, in which-A Figures l to 9represent specimens of cards.

My invention relates to the cards employed in all games to which theyare adapted, and which are especially adapted to certain new games ofcards, of which I enumerate Baseball craze,77 League game, Associationgame,77 and Baseball euchre."7

Therobjeet of my invention is to provide a pack containing severalseries of cards bearing certain figures and indorsements, whereby thevarious persons in their respective field or playing positionsin a gameofbaseball may be indicated, and also the clubs to which theyrespectively belong, a certain relative value being given to each cardor series of cards, as hereinafter described.

My invention consists in the cards adapted to be used and combined ashereinafter described in playing the games above named, and any othersto which they may be adaptedu The cards are in series of nine-viz., acatchercard, a pitcher-card, ashort-stop card, a firstbascman card, asecond-baseman card,a thirdbaseman card, a left-helder card, acenteriielder card, and a rightiielder card in each series, and eachcard to a series being designated as attached to or connected with someleague or association or designated baseball club; and I recommend thatthere be eight series of such cards, making seventy-two cards in all;but this number of series is not an es sential part of myinvention. Ifthere be Seventytwo cards used, then the games of Baseball craze, Leaguegame, and others can be played with them; but if less or more than eightof such series are employed other games can be played to which suchother number of cards would be adapted. The cards may be made to rankaccording to the agreement of the players; but I prefer to have themrank in playing games, as in playing base-ball, and in the followingorder: catcher, pitcher, shortstop, first baseman, second baseman,thirdbaseman, left-fielder, center-fielder, and rightfielder.

In the League and in other games to which cards are adapted the seriesof cards from catcher to rightiielder belonging to a design nated clubare the highesteards in the pack-ha for example, Detroit catcher beingthe highest card, and so on to rightiielder of Detroit.

In Base-ball craze, and in other games to which cards are adapted, theseries of eight catcher-cards in the pack are the highest cards-forexample, the catcher of Detroit being the highest card, the catcher ofPhiladelphia being the next highest, and so onto the catcher of the clubstanding at the foot of the list in its respective league 0rassociation.

In the National game,77 Base-ball whist, and other games to which cardsare adapted, the catcher of the club which shall be selected as trumpsis the highest card, the pitcher next, and so on in ordervirst abovenamed. The rank or value of each of said cards, as above stated, in theLeague and other games is shown and indicated by certain words,numerals, and letters on said cards, as follows: Detroit 1,bor i; or1C), meaning Detroit catcher, the highest card in said games; Detroit 2,or or meaning Detroit pitcher, the second highest card; Detroit 3, or or5%, meaning Detroit short-stop, the third highest card; Detroit Li, oror gi, the fourth in rank; Detroit 5, or or 31%, the fifth in rank;Detroit G, or or the sixth in rank; Detroit 7, or i? or lli, the seventhin rank; Detroit 8, or D s or im the eighthinrank; Detroit 9, or or theninth in rank. This manner or system of marking is continued through allof said cards in said packe The rank 0r value of each of said cards, asabove stated, in the game of Base-ball craze, and in some other games,is shown or indicated on said cards by certain inscriptions, letters,and numbers, as

follows: Catcher 1 i or meaning in the National League pack, catcher ofDetroit, the

vor g, meaning catcher of Boston, the fifth highest card; Catcher 6, ormeaning catcher of Pittsburg, the sixth highest card; Catcher 7, or *,Q,meaning catcher of Washington, the seventh highest card; Catcher 8, org, meaning catcher of Indianapolis, the

eighth highest card. This mode or system of marking is continued throughallof said cards in said pack. Games with these cards are played withthe same number of persons, and according to the general rulespertaining to card-playing.

In the games played with sevcntytwo cards nine cards (indicating thenumber of persons engaged on a side in a game of base-ball) are dealt toeach player. Each trick taken constitutes a run, and the player or sidefirst scoring nine, eighteen, or twenty-seven runs, or

' as many as agreed upon between the players,

wins the game.

Figure l represents the catcher-card, of which there is one in eachseries in each pack. This card bears the figure of a catcher in a gameof baseball. Cn each of said cards is printed the Word Catcher and-thename of the club to which he is connected or is stated to belong-e. g.,Detroit, i Chicago, 83e. On said cards are printed the letters andnumerals indicating rank or value-for eX- ample, and Fig. 2l representsin a similar manner the pitcher-card, of which there is one in eachseries in each pack. Fig. 3 represents in a similar manner theshort-stop card. Fig. 4 represents in a similar manner the rstbasemanlcard. Fig. 5 represents in a similar manner the second-baseman card.Fig. 6 represents in a similar manner the third-baseman card. Fig. 7represents in a similar manner the left-fielder card. Fig. 8 representsin a similar manner the center-helder card. Fig. 9 represents in asimilar manner the right-fielder card. u

These various cards may be printed in various colors to represent theuniforms of the several base-ball clubs embraced Within each pack.

There may also be placed on each card the name of the man who hasoccupied or is occu` pying the position indicated by the card, (as, forexample, Bennett, on the catchercard of the Detroit series;) but this isnot an essential part of my invention, and I do not make any claimtherefor.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as an improvement inplaying-cards- A pack of playing-cards divided into several series, eachseries being marked to represent a different base-ball nine, each cardin each series being also marked to indicate the ield position of theplayer it represents, substantially as described.

`FRANKLN COUCH.

lVitnesses:

GEO. H. BALDWIN, JAMES D. WRIGHT.

